Select Local Merchants

BADASS Dash’s organizers live in a world of imagination. Where others see cargo nets, they see giant webs to be scaled. School buses become climbing walls and bales of hay turn into tunnels filled with grass and mud. In city after city, they place 30+ of these obstacles along a 7-kilometer course, and invite individuals and teams to compete against each other in elite matches, or beat their personal best in recreational races. Afterward, the organizers throw a celebratory bash filled with bonfires, food, and prizes for top finishers. A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the charity Autism Speaks.

The ODDyssey Half Marthon training team is waiting for you––but they won't wait long. Every Tuesday night in April, the team makes a trek across Philadelphia's network of bridges in anticipation of the ODDyssey Half Marathon on June 8. After each run, the whole team piles into a bar for a complimentary Sly Fox craft beer and a pit stain competition. At the end of happy hour, participants enter into a raffle for such prizes as running shoes, apparel, and koozies. Anyone who completes all five training runs will earn a commemorative T-shirt as well. Each week focuses on one running club and one fundraising effort, and all proceeds from registration go to charity.

Rebel Race's military-style obstacle courses challenge athletes from all backgrounds to shed humdrum day-to-day routines to experience the primal joys of mud, sweat and glory. Emerging from the mire in various states across the country, each Rebel Race packs its rucksack with tests of physical and mental toughness, rousing racers and washing machines alike to triumph in the face of sloppy opposition. After dashing through fire, climbing walls, and scaling mountains of hay, race participants bask in the collective kudos of parties, which include live entertainment, food, and beer for purchase. Camping options encourage participants and spectators to transform races into weekend getaways, while awards recognize each day's standout competitors and most-humble mud pits.

Philadelphia Rock Gyms challenges climbers of all skill levels with 2,000 square feet of climbing terrain, 1,500 square feet of bouldering plains, and more than 30 top ropes. Initiates to the vertical sport can get the hang of climbing basics during the gym’s variety of lessons, which impart skills such as proper technique and the ability to tell which rocks open a supervillain's secret lair. Each participant receives a two week pass to practice the climbing skills they learned and try new climbs. The gym also features a variety of team-building opportunities and private room rentals, as well as a pro shop that outfits patrons with the proper climbing equipment available for rent or purchase.

The City Mad Dash builds competitive camaraderie by sending teams of no more than five individuals on an urban scavenger hunt, armed with nothing but a smartphone as their guide. Participants activate the four-hour trek by logging into the GooseChase mobile application, rife with more than 40 missions to tackle urban landscape and more than 50 ways to capture rogue geese. Though assignments remain secret until the race, example activities include working covertly in a service job where team members are not employed, cleaning a stranger's car windshield, and convincing brave pedestrians to receive an on-street dental exam. Tasks are completed when a clear and creative photo is sent to a team of judges. The squad to accomplish the most challenges and interact with its city in the most inventive, least evil manner during the four hours earns $200, the title of Ultimate Scavenger Hunter, and a complimentary invisibility cloak. Participants can relive the action through an online album of photographs from every team's adventure. An after-party follows the event until 5 p.m.

At Go Vertical, walls aren't barriers—they're possibilities. Within the massive gym (one of the largest facilities of its kind on the East Coast), climbers ascend up to 50 feet on 250 different routes. And to ensure consistently fresh challenges, at least 20 new routes are added to the wall each week, joining V0–V8 bouldering walls.